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Contents

1. Death of a Child in Need
2. Serious Illness/Injury Regarding a Child in Need 

1. Death of a Child in Need

Where information comes to notice of the death of a Child in Need, the following actions are required, depending on the legal status of the child.

1.1	Death of a Looked After Child
1.2	Death of other Children in Need

1.1 Death of a Looked After Child

If a Looked After Child dies, the child’s social worker or member of staff who first learns about the child’s death, will:

• During normal working hours: Obtain as much information as possible on the circumstances surrounding the cause of death and immediately inform the Head of Service (for Head of Service responsibilities, see below);
• Outside normal working hours: Notify the Emergency Duty Social Work Team, who will then notify the Designated Manager (Death or Serious Illness/Injury). In discussion with the Designated Manager (Death or Serious Illness/Injury) the EDT social worker should decide on arrangements for notifying parents or person with Parental Responsibility. The EDT worker will also arrange for the Head of Service and Social Worker to be notified.

The Head of Service will:

1. Immediately inform the Designated Manager (Death or Serious Illness/Injury), by telephone and then confirm details in writing as soon as possible afterwards;
2. Advise and obtain advice as required by the Legal Services initially by telephone, then confirm details in writing;
3. Contact the Insurance Section of the Finance Department, initially by telephone and then in writing; and
4. Contact the Press Office if the nature of the death is such that it might warrant public attention;
5. Inform parents in person wherever possible, following any advice given by the Legal and/or Insurance section in the event of any liability matter.  If the child’s sibling(s) is looked after, arrangements should be made to inform the child(ren) about the siblings death;
6. Discuss with the parent(s) and reach agreement regarding the arrangements for the funeral (in the event of sudden, unexplained deaths arrangements for the funeral may need to be delayed);
7. Agree any necessary expenditure including reasonable travel expenses to assist the family in attending the funeral where it appears there is financial hardship.

The Designated Manager (Death or Serious Illness/Injury) will:

1. Inform the Director for Family Services who will decide whether the Chairman of Family Services Committee needs to be informed;
2. Appoint a manager to conduct a Management Review;
3. Consider whether a Serious Case Review is required under the London Child Protection Procedures;
4. Inform the Secretary of State for Education;
5. Inform the Regulatory Authority and other agencies outlined in Designated Manager Death or Serious Illness/Injury). 

The child’s social worker should prepare a report (headings below) that the Designated Manager (Death or Serious Illness/Injury) will arrange to send to the Department for Education with a covering letter. The report for the Department for Education will include the following information in the order shown: A copy of the report should be kept in the child’s file.

• Local authority;
• Child's name;
• Parents' names and support being offered to them;
• Date of birth;
• Date of death/serious injury;
• Child's legal status;
• Child's ethnicity, religion, language, disability;
• Cause of death as on Death Certificate;
• Dates if any when child was subject to a Child Protection Plan;
• The date and findings of the Post Mortem, Inquest and any criminal proceedings initiated. It may be necessary to notify these details at a later date;
• Brief details of the case, including type of placement;
• Local authority duties in respect of the child;
• Intention of the local authority to hold an independent management review;
• Policy and practice issues raised and intended local authority action (to follow later if necessary).

The Social worker must record the death on ICS but the case should remain open until the Designated Manager (Death or Serious Illness/Injury) has confirmed that the case can be closed.

1.2 Death of other Children in Need

If a Child in Need who is not Looked After dies, the social worker should inform his/her manager, who should notify the Head of Service and Designated Manager (Death or Serious Illness/Injury) who will decide what further action is required. This may include the following:

1. Notifying the Director for Family Services, who may notify members;
2. Consider whether it is appropriate to conduct a Management Review;
3. Consider whether a Serious Case Review is required (see Section 19, Serious Case Reviews of London Child Protection Procedures);
4. Inform the Secretary of State for Education;
5. Inform Ofsted using the Notification Form for Serious Childcare Incidents.

The report to the Secretary of State will include the following information and must be approved by the Designated Manager (Death of a Child) before it is sent:

• Local authority;
• Child's name;
• Parents' names;
• Date of birth;
• Date of death/serious injury;
• Child's legal status;
• Child's ethnicity, religion, language, disability;
• Cause of death as on Death Certificate;
• Dates if any when child was subject to a Child Protection Plan;
• The date and findings of the Post Mortem, Inquest and any criminal proceedings initiated. It may be necessary to notify these details at a later date;
• Brief details of the case;
• Local authority duties in respect of the child;
• Intention of the local authority to hold an independent management review.

Policy and practice issues raised and intended local authority action (to follow later if necessary).

2. Serious Illness/Injury Regarding a Child in Need

Where a Child in Need is seriously injured or suffers from a serious accident, illness or the outbreak of any infectious or Notifiable Diseases, the following actions are required, depending on the legal status of the child.

2.1	Serious Illness/Injury regarding a Looked After Child
2.2	In regard to other Children in Need

2.1  Serious Illness/Injury regarding a Looked After Child

Where information comes to notice of serious injury to a looked after child, social worker or member of staff notified of the injury must obtain as much information as possible on the circumstances surrounding the accident, and the child’s current condition and immediately inform the Head of Service or Emergency Duty Social Work Team.  The child’s social worker must be notified as appropriate.

The Head of Service will:

1. Immediately inform the Designated Manager (Death or Serious Illness/Injury) by telephone and then confirm details in writing as soon as possible afterwards;
2. Advise and obtain advice as required by the Legal Services initially by telephone, then confirm details in writing;
3. Contact the Insurance Section of the Finance Department, initially by telephone and then in writing; and
4. Contact the Press Office if the nature of the serious injury is such that it might warrant public attention;
5. Inform parents in person wherever possible, following any advice given by the Legal and/or Insurance section in the event of any liability matter.  If the child’s sibling(s) is looked after, arrangements should be made to inform the child(ren) about the siblings death;
6. Agree with the hospital the arrangements for the parent(s) and carer(s) to visit the child in hospital. The social worker will then communicate this to the parent(s) and carer(s);
7. Agree any necessary expenditure including reasonable travel expenses to assist the family in visiting the child where it appears there is financial hardship;
8. Where the child was placed in foster care or residential care, advise the Regulatory Authority initially by telephone followed with written information.

The Designated Manager (Death or Serious Illness/Injury) will:

1. Inform the Director for Family Services;
2. Consider the appropriate manager to conduct a Management Review; and;
3. Consider whether a Serious Case Review is required (see Section 19, Serious Case Reviews of London Child Protection Procedures);
4. Consider whether it is appropriate to inform the Regulatory Authority, and other agencies outlined in Designated Manager (Death or Serious Illness/ Injury). 

2.2 In regard to other Children in Need

If a Child in Need who is not Looked After is seriously injured or suffers from a serious accident, illness or the outbreak of any infectious Notifiable Disease, the social worker should inform his/her manager, who should consult the Designated Manager (Serious Illness, Accident or Outbreak of Any Infectious or Notifiable Disease)  and decide what further action is required.  This may include the following:

1. Notifying the Director for Family Services, who may notify members;
2. Consider whether it is appropriate to conduct a Management Review;
3. Consider whether a Serious Case Review is required (See Section 19, Serious Case Reviews of London Child Protection Procedures).

End